THE NEW FRONTIER

A first-person coming-of-age tale set in 1961 that follows a preteen and his family as they become the first Black people in an all-white neighborhood.

Inquisitive 12-year-old Samuel Cole and his parents have lived in the same modest cottage in Los Angeles since his birth. Originally from Oklahoma, the couple embraces the idea of the “New Frontier,” a term used by then–presidential nominee John F. Kennedy, and they strategize ways to seek a better life, starting with purchasing a new home. Despite encountering obstacles, a year later they succeed, but that means leaving behind a tight-knit community. Samuel hates how eerily sterile his new neighborhood is: “Everything [is] amazingly clean…[Does] anyone even live here?” His reservations turn out to be well founded; the family members experience racist torments, including the vandalization of their car with a racial slur soon after they move in. In the midst of his new normal, Samuel makes friends with Patsy McGuire, a white girl who eventually helps with uncovering a neighborhood secret. Wilson infuses the story with moments of levity and occasionally charming dialogue, but the writing overall feels dated, and the execution is uneven. The author also ties history into this well-intentioned story, touching on the inner lives of Black people who believed in promised new beginnings during the tail end of the Great Migration.

An accessible but lackluster tribute to Black families who were in constant search of dignity.